Wakefield Trinity sent shockwaves through rugby league on Saturday night after dismantling Wigan Warriors 33-6 at The Brick Community Stadium to reach their first-ever Super League Grand Final.
The stunning semi-final upset saw Daryl Powell’s side defy 5/1 pre-match odds to end Wigan’s treble hopes in ruthless fashion.
Following the unbelievable result, Sky Sports pundit Sam Tomkins hailed Trinity’s performance as “by far the biggest shock of the year.”
With the 2026 campaign producing drama from round one to the play-offs, we rank the five biggest shock results of the Super League season.
History beckons after semi-final controversy and Wakefield Trinity’s upset win – Click here to watch the latest episode of the Serious About Rugby League Show
The biggest shocks of the 2026 Super League season – ranked
5 – Castleford Tigers 36–34 Leeds Rhinos
Castleford produced one of the most unexpected results by stunning local rivals Leeds Rhinos in a fiery West Yorkshire derby.
It was a game that saw Leeds lose Danny Levi to a serious neck injury, arguably putting them off their stride, but take nothing away from what was a spirited Tigers performance.
4- St Helens 0-46 Toulouse Olympique
In terms of scoreline, this result was certainly the biggest as a depleted Saints side suffered the wrath of the high-flying Olympians.
This game would prove to be the penultimate of Paul Rowley’s Red Vee career, after he left the club the following week – despite beating Catalans.
3- Wigan Warriors 16-34 Huddersfield Giants
High-flying Wigan met bottom-of-the-table Huddersfield in Round Six, in a game that had just seen Giants boss Luke Robinson sacked. Liam Finn took over as interim boss, and with the help of the returning Adam Clune, guided his side to a monumental victory over a Warriors outfit who were unbeaten at that point.
2- York Knights 19–18 Hull KR
The 2026 season opened with an absolute blockbuster on opening weekend as newly-promoted York Knights shocked reigning champions Hull KR.
Playing in their top-flight debut, the Knights pushed the title holders to the limit as a late Ata Hingano drop goal sealed the biggest shock win in arguably the competition’s 30-year history.
1- Wigan Warriors 6–33 Wakefield Trinity (Play-Off Semi-Final)
There can only be one winner at the top of the list.
Wakefield Trinity didn’t just beat the Warriors in their own backyard; they completely dominated them in a high-stakes play-off semi-final.
Overcoming a 1/8 favourite Wigan side on a winning run dating back to May, Trinity ran in three tries during a relentless 10-minute spell to blow the tie wide open.
Restricting Wigan to just six points on the biggest stage, Wakefield’s 33-6 triumph will go down as one of the most astonishing play-off performances in rugby league.
The Joker
September 28, 2026 at 5:41 pm
The paint dried very quickly!